Koothu, or Therukoothu, is an ancient Tamil art form, where artists enacted scenes from epics and folklore with dance and music. It is a form of storytelling art that originated in the early

Tamilakam Tamilakam () also known as ancient Tamil country as was the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covering the southernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, La ...

, and served as an entertainment and a medium to educate the people about religion and history. Various forms exist such as Terukuttu and Kattaikkuttu.

Description

Koothu is an ancient Tamil art form, which is a form of

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

, where artists enacted scenes from epics and folklore with dance and music. It involves play performance along with narration and singing.

Sangam literature The Sangam literature (Tamil language, Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam''), historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' (Tamil language, Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cā ...

such as '' Silappatikaram'' provide detailed description of the art form. The stories are drawn from Hindu epics such as

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

and Mahabharata, mythology and folklore. Apart from entertainment, koothu also serves as a medium of education to the rural people about religion and history.

Variations

Koothu broadly consists of the art forms of Terukuttu and Kattaikkuttu. Terukkuttu refers to mobile performances in a procession, while Kattaikkuttu denotes narrative performance, often performed overnight, on a fixed performance space. Koothu generally means a performance and is used as a part of the names denoting other specific art forms. These include Nattu Koothu, Kuravai Koothu, and Valli Koothu, which depict scenes from the state and culture of different peoples in Tamil country. Samaya Koothu showcases religious topics, while Porkaala Koothu, Pei Koothu, and Thunangai Koothu are focused on the martial arts and war of the country. Other forms include Chakyar Koothu and Ottan koothu, a tribal ritual dance form. Bommalattam, a type of string puppetry, is also referred to as thol pavai koothu (dance of leather dolls).

Performance

The performers are called as "koothar". They wear elaborate wooden headgear, special costumes with swirling skirts, ornaments such as heavy anklets along with prominent face painting and make-up. While traditionally the performers have been predominantly male, women have been included in modern times. The art is a form of street theater, performed during festivals in open public places such as temples or village squares. It is usually dedicated to Hindu goddesses such as Mariamman or

Draupadi Draupadi (), also referred to as Krishnā, Panchali and Yajnaseni, is the central heroine of the Indian epic poetry, ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. In the epic, she is the princess of Panchala Kingdom, who later becomes the empress of K ...

. The dance is accompanied by music played from traditional instruments and the story is usually narrated by a ''kattiyakaran'' in the background during the performance. The artisians often train in a ''koothu pattarai'' (theatre workshop) under a nattuvanar (teacher).

Areas of practice

Koothu is an art form which has been practised in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

since the

Sangam period The Sangam literature ( Tamil: சங்க இலக்கியம், ''caṅka ilakkiyam''), historically known as 'the poetry of the noble ones' ( Tamil: சான்றோர் செய்யுள், ''Cāṉṟōr ceyyuḷ''), connote ...

. Theater groups such as the Koothu-P-Pattarai have been performing the art form in the 21st century. Dedicated schools such as Kattaikuthu Gurkulam and various training programmes have also been established for training artisans. In the early 2020s, the art form suffered a dip due to the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

enforced lockdowns, with artists struggling for means to earn a livelihood. Apart from Tamil Nadu, as Tamils migrated abroad to various countries such as Sri Lanka and Fiji, the art form was carried to those regions. In Fiji, it is called as "tirikutu" in Fiji, and is performed by males during temples festivals.

References

External links